After years of effort, female condoms are poised to fulfill their promise

The female condom may be the most promising health technology you’ve rarely heard of. At PATH, we’re working to change that.

Like its male counterpart, female condoms effectively provide dual protection against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Moreover, they are one of only a few available preventive tools that women and girls initiate. That’s especially important given that in several parts of the world, women’s share of HIV infections is increasing, with young women most at risk.

While a female condom has been on the market in several countries for more than 15 years, levels of use have been low. In comparison to the male condom, female products have been expensive.

But with new products entering the marketplace—including one developed by PATH—the female condom may soon fulfill its promise. Before that can happen, however, manufacturers must establish a stable supply of products, and advocates for the method must garner political support for the establishment of large-scale training, education, and promotion efforts.

Putting control in women’s hands

In 2008, nearly 35 million female condoms were distributed—still just a fraction of the more than 10 billion male condoms distributed annually worldwide.

The number of female condoms distributed has increased every year since 2005. That year, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched the Global Female Condom Initiative in response to the increasing numbers of women infected by HIV. In 2008, nearly 35 million female condoms were distributed in 93 countries. But these numbers are just a fraction of the more than 10 billion male condoms distributed annually worldwide.

In the years since HIV and AIDS have become widespread, few technologies have been developed and approved that protect against sexually transmitted infections. Effective female condom programs can help women and couples reduce their risks for diseases and unintended pregnancies.

Two ways to dual protection

PATH is working on two fronts to increase use of female condoms. The Woman’s Condom designed by PATH addresses issues with performance and acceptability that women and couples have reported with earlier products. PATH is currently working with a manufacturer in China to begin production of the Woman’s Condom.

PATH is also building support for the female condom not only among women and couples but also with health care providers and policymakers. Working with UNFPA, PATH produced Female Condom: A Powerful Tool for Prevention, an advocacy guide that grew out of a meeting of more than 100 experts on the female condom. It provides evidence of the effectiveness of the female condom, answers common questions, and suggests steps to improve access and use.

Successful introduction of the female condom will require culturally appropriate education, counseling, practice, and peer support for women and their partners. Training health care providers so that they can advise their clients properly is crucial. And strong advocacy for the method—from providers, community leaders, women’s and youth groups, and professional health associations—is essential to convince decision-makers of the method’s potential to give women and men a greater choice for protection.

Photo: PATH/Mike Wang.